Source: Ippmedia.comBy Gerald KitabuA thunderous wheezing sound from a group of hippopotamuses floating on Katuma River near Sitalike village could be heard as we entered the Katavi National Park in Mpanda district, Katavi region enthralling Bishop Charles Gadi of the Dar es Salaam based Good News for All Ministry. He braved the scotching sun capturing every event that was taking place in the River. Katuma River is the vital lifeline of the Park which feeds Lake Katavi in the north and Lake Chada in the centre as well as the huge Katisunga floodplain. In recent years, apart from being used as the source of water for varieties of wild animals, has also become home to thousands of hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Despite being the third largest National Park in Tanzania, Katavi national park was not even known to many people in the country. After getting out of the vehicle to take some photos a group of journalists could see hundreds of grunting hippos murmuring and squeezing themselves into the muddy water. It was journey full of joy, sympathies, friendship, and laughter. Casual glances at trees along the road that crossed the river from Mpanda town to Sumbawanga district, Rukwa region, journalists could see birds swaying smoothly on feeble branches preening their feathers excitedly as they prepared to play on the soft backs of the hippos. Beautiful vegetation and green environment inside and around the national park, has attracted a variety of huge animals, plants and birds species. As he was strolling further through tall green grasses, incredible scenery that include immense wetlands, roaring waterfalls and original miombo woodlands, where the sable antelopes often hide, were enough charm to journalists. However, despite all the wonders that are actually key to attracting tourism in the park which earn foreign currency for the nation’s economy, the national park is faced with several challenges both inside and outside it. More....

Source: Ipsnews.netBy Cam McGrathAt a small pet shop in an upscale Cairo neighbourhood, puppies, kittens and sickly-looking parakeets occupy the cages behind the storefront window. But if you want more exciting and exotic animals – such as crocodiles or lion cubs – just ask behind the counter. Trade in wild animals is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which Egypt is a signatory. But decades of ineffective border controls and police indifference have made the country a major hub for the trafficking of wildlife. Conservationists suspect that criminal gangs have expanded their networks and stepped up shipments of protected and endangered species under cover of the political turmoil that has engulfed the region since the start of the Arab Spring. “Since the revolution in 2011, Egypt has fewer resources for enforcement, and traffickers have recognised this,” an environment ministry official told IPS. “The country is facing many serious political and economic problems, and checking shipments for wildlife is not a priority.”Cairo is less a destination than a transit point for animals trafficked from Africa to markets in Asia and the Arab Gulf states. Rare and endangered animals are concealed in air and sea shipments, or smuggled overland through the porous borders of Libya and Sudan. In recent years, authorities have seized satchels full of dying tortoises, rare birds stuffed into toilet paper rolls with their beaks tied shut, and a pair of dolphins floundering in a murky swimming pool. Foreign customs officers have also discovered baby chimpanzees drugged with cough syrup and crammed into crates shipped from Egypt. Many of the trafficked animals are kept in rented apartments in Cairo and Alexandria that act as showrooms for prospective buyers. Others fill the overcrowded and dirty cages of disreputable pet shops, or end up in the country’s growing number of private zoos. One licensed pet store in Cairo’s Zamalek district had its front end geared for the pampered pets of the district’s affluent residents, with imported pet foods, rhinestone studded dog collars, and colourful catnip toys. Further back the shop catered to more exotic tastes, with pens of juvenile crocodiles, caged fennec foxes, and a full-grown vulture that was eventually sold to a local businessman for 1,200 dollars. The pet store was shuttered last year after municipal authorities acted on residents’ complaints. More....

Source: Blog.Africageographic.comAn alpha female has been re-collared and two young wild dogs collared for the first time in the 13 member-strong pack at Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia, in anticipation of a natural split in the group.The VHF collars fitted to the three dogs will enable researchers from African Parks and the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) to track them within the 3 660 km² expanse of Liuwa Plain. Wild dogs typically cover between 5 to 10 kilometres per hunting period, hunting twice a day early morning and late afternoon into the night. Without collars it is difficult for researchers to keep abreast of their movements. The satellite collars fitted to the dogs will function for three years. In order for the collars to be attached the dogs were first sedated. The tranquilising darts were fired at close range by an experienced wildlife veterinarian and took the standard 5 to 10 minutes to take effect. The closer the darter to the animal, the less velocity required which ultimately means a softer impact for the animal. The collar was attached on each animal while it was unconscious. Once the collar had been fitted and a health examination completed, a reversal drug was administered to induce consciousness. During the procedures each of the dogs was carefully monitored and a check kept on their vital signs by the veterinary and research teams. Water was also applied regularly to their coats to help keep them cool. The entire process from the initial darting to recovery took approximately 30 minutes per wild dog. The veterinary and research teams remained with each dog while it emerged from its “wobbly” stage, until it was evident it had made a total recovery.The Liuwa research team, led by Jassiel M’soka and Egil Dröge from ZCP, is studying a range of wild dog characteristics and trends including their birth and mortality rates, their hunting efforts and successes, and kleptoparasitism (a form of feeding in which one animal takes prey from another) by hyena and lion. The ZCP team is also investigating the behavioural impact wild dogs (and other predators) have on their prey species. “At Liuwa our study of wild dogs is researching their effect on their main prey, namely wildebeest, zebra and oribi. From other studies it is known that predators can affect the body condition, including the fertility rates, of their prey,” said Dröge. More....

Source: 7daysinDubai.comThe Wadi Wurayah National Park in Fujairah has been indefinitely closed to the public in an attempt to rehabilitate the site and its inhabitants, following littering, graffiti, destruction of resources and poaching by visitors. Wadi Wurayah is the first national park in the UAE and a wetland of international importance recognised by the Ramsar Convention. It was established under law no. 2 in 2009 and is the country’s first protected mountain, and one of the few permanent freshwater sources in the UAE. More than 500 species have been documented as living in the wadi - including more than 70 species of birds, dozens of reptiles and mammals, plus fish, amphibians, and plants - of which at least 72 species are considered new to science.Access to the site was shut yesterday by Crown Prince of Fujairah HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi. Calling for vigorous steps to conserve the habitat, he said: “As we move into the future, we must protect our natural heritage for the good of our people. “The park is a precious symbol of our respect for our past and our hopes for the future.” He directed Fujairah Municipality and Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wildlife Fund (EWS-WWF) to manage Wadi Wurayah National Park as “a regional model for nature conservation”. The site, home to the only waterfall in the UAE, will remain sealed off until infrastructure can be established to protect the wildlife and water resources. Litter, mostly from picnics, can be seen everywhere. Sixty per cent of the mammal species recorded in the area are of international or national concern, including the Arabian tahr, the mountain gazelle, the caracal lynx and Blanford’s fox. It is one of the world’s last three remaining strongholds of the Arabian tahr. The park is also a hotspot for dragonflies, and recent surveys show that 22 of the 30 known dragonfly and damselfly species in the UAE have been recorded at the site. A species called Urothemis thomasi, new to the UAE, was spotted earlier this year. According to International Union for Conservations of Nature data, it has not been recorded anywhere since 1957 and was thought to be extinct. Ida Tillisch, director general of EWS-WWF, told 7DAYS: “Some of these are species that no one in the world knew existed, and the wadi is the only home to some of them. The human footprint has been harsh. Unfortunately if it is not properly managed, it can take its toll on nature.” More....

Source: Newswatch.nationalgeographic.comBy Paul SteynBotswana has some of the last remaining free-roaming populations of wild animals on the planet. Massive breeding herds of elephants are known to move thousands of kilometres across the country’s wild lands, through private farms, national parks, towns and deep into neighbouring countries too. It’s a picture of Africa that one reads about in the history books. The town of Kasane borders the Chobe National Park in the North of Botswana, and regularly sees all kinds of wildlife pass through, including lion, buffalo, hyena and even the rare sable antelope. This is one of the few places where human infrastructure still grows within these functioning ancient wildlife home rangesAs human populations develop and pressure grows on the environment, it’s natural to presume that wildlife will get squeezed into closed-off parks and reserves such as has happened all around the world over the last century. Right? Not necessarily. The team at Elephants Without Borders are researching the use of wildlife corridors to reduce human/wildlife conflict in Northern Botswana, where one of the largest populations of elephants in Africa still remains. Using Kasane as the base for these studies, the organisation has set up ‘urban corridors’ and are now monitoring the movement of animals through the town and neighbouring farms.“When you think of wildlife corridors, everyone thinks the big trans-boundary movements,” says Tempe Adams, a lead researcher on the team, “I’m trying to re-define the idea of a wildlife corridor.” “It’s amazing when I take people to see the corridors – they can’t imagine that the elephants actually use them. But I assure them that they absolutely do. I use detection cameras to monitor the movement. A lot of the corridors I’m looking at, people would not class them as a corridor, but when I actually show them the photos of usage they say: ‘that’s incredible.’ I’m yet to show someone who is not surprised by the amount of wildlife that comes into town. And they don’t even know about it. A lot of these corridors are not even known to local people.’It seems corridors could be important to the movement of wildlife on a much broader scale in Africa. The Chobe National Park is at the centre of what could be the world’s largest conservation area. More....

Source: Thehindu.comBy R. KrishnamoorthySpread over a vast expanse of over 1,400km, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, a significant wildlife corridor of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve between Eastern and Western Ghats, has transformed into fourth Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, today, in addition to the Anamalai, Mudumalai, and Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserves.A wildlife sanctuary since November 3, 2008, the Sathyamangalam forest division was expanded to 1.41 lakh hectares in 2011 from the then existing 52,434 hectares, making it one of the largest reserves in the world.The largest chunks of additional area were from Guthiyalathur (48,792 hectares) and Talamalai reserve forests (31,987 hectares).In the new Tiger Reserve considered significant for its range of flora and fauna, the Sathyamangalam forest division has been split into two, with a new division headquartered at Hasanur.The Sathy Forest Division would now has jurisdiction over 88,131.56 hectares and Hassanur Division 57,399.36 hectares, District Forest Officer, Sathyamangalam, K. Rajkumar told The Hindu .The habitat with varied forest type is considered unique for supporting a variety of wildlife including elephants, striped hyenas, vultures, gaurs, leopards, and deers, besides tigers.At last count, 28 tigers were found in camera trapping study conducted in December 2011 by World Wildlife Fund. The pug marks were confirmed by the Centre for Molecular Biology Hyderabad. The habitat with 90,000 hectares of core zone is the largest home for over 1,200 elephants.Nests of vultures were sighted in Moyar valley in 2010, sources said.The existing Namakkal forest division has been attached to Salem Circle.

Poaching is an illegal killing of wild animals in a national park, protected area or game ranch. About 100 years ago most of the African countries had a lot of wild animals but the numbers of animals have been reducing due to several activities such as illegal settlements, agriculture, road networks and poaching. The numbers have massively reduced in the last three to four decades because of high poaching levels. Animals such as elephants are some of the most poached because of their tusks. In Zambia, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild fauna and flora, elephants have been classified in appendices II. Appendix II includes all species which although not necessarily now threatened with extinction may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival. The population of this endangered species grows at a lower rate, in elephants the spacing between offspring is three to four years which takes many years for the population to grow. Let us now reflect on the article which was written by Kevin Wafula in Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park. Recent reports suggest more than 300 elephants have died in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park as a result of poachers lacing the park’s watering holes and salt licks with cyanide poison. How many years will it take us to attain this number of elephants?. Initially the number of elephant deaths had been pegged at about 40, with numbers climbing to more than 100 in early October. Most recently, however, aerial surveys over the park have revealed what looks to be the carcasses of more than 300 dead elephants. In almost all cases, the elephant tusks were removed, underscoring the fact that this was a coordinated poaching attack. “It’s one more horrific chapter in the tragic story of the African elephant,” says Philip Muruthi, senior director of conservation science at the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). “Though elephants may have been the target, poison is indiscriminate in who or what it kills. Lions, hyenas, vultures, kudu, and other wildlife, in addition to elephants, have fallen victim.” More....

Source: Kbc.co.keBy Judith AkoloEnvironment Cabinet Secretary Professor Judi Wakhungu has raised the red flag over the continued occupation of wildlife range lands for settlement. Conservationists are at the same time warning that the increase in game meat trade threatens to destabilize the ecosystem balance in the national parks and reserves as poachers target scavenger animals including hyenas. The Environment Cabinet secretary who spoke at a consultative meeting bringing together non-governmental organizations involved in conservation, also warned that encroachment on to wildlife habitat is complicating matters even as the sustained war on poaching is realizing fruits. The Cabinet Secretary warned that the survival of wildlife is now faced with a multiplication of challenges including climate change making the sector the most vulnerable. Professor Wakhungu called on researchers to conduct a census of the various animals in the Game Reserves and national parks, so as to draw up a clear strategy on how to protect those that are endangered. She at the same time called on players in the NGO sector to give their views on the various Bills affecting the sector instead of casting aspersions on the contents of the Bills. The Kenya Wildlife Service Director William Kiprono warned that the greatest threat to wildlife is the booming trade in game meat that has now included hunting of hyenas which are essential in cleaning up the habitats of carcasses.Impalas Meanwhile, the Kenya Wildlife Service has trans located 17 impalas from Francisco Natta Marura Farm in Naivasha to Shimba Hills National Reserve in Kwale County in a bid to boost their dwindling population in the reserve. The Kwale KWS Senior Warden Mohammed Kheri said the reserve had only 13 female impalas from 49 received seven years ago from Aljogi ranch in Laikipia. The latest herd includes 10 females and seven males, which are expected to improve breeding and shore up the population of the impalas in the reserve, according to Kheri. More....

Source: Blogs.scientificamerican.comBy Kate WongOn a clear day outside Denver, dust filled the air surrounding an industrial rock crusher as it pulverized nearly six tons of confiscated elephant ivory. Loader trucks dumped batch after batch of whole tusks, elaborately carved figurines, bracelets and other baubles into the giant blue crusher, which spit them out as a stream of fragments that resembled remnants of seashells pounded by heavy surf. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) destroyed the 25 years’ worth of ivory seizures—a quantity that could command perhaps $12 million on the black market–to signal to the world that the U.S. will not tolerate elephant poaching or wildlife crime in general. For many attendees, the crush was also a funeral of sorts for the more than 2,000 elephants that were slaughtered for the ivory that ended up here in Colorado. The U.S. is not the first country to destroy its seized ivory. In 1989, Kenya responded to rampant elephant poaching by burning its stockpile. More recently, with poaching surging to record levels of 30,000 elephants or more a year, Gabon and the Philippines have destroyed their ivory, too. The U.S. ivory crush on November 14 followed President Obama’s July 1 executive order calling on government agencies to step up efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade.Concerns over the trade have been escalating not only because of the dramatic spike in elephant deaths but because of who is doing the killing. In contrast to the elephant poaching crisis of the 1980s, which resulted mainly from opportunistic hunting carried out by individuals, the current crisis is the work of transnational criminal syndicates that traffic in wildlife just as they traffic in humans, drugs and arms. Profits from the illegal sale of ivory, rhinoceros horn and other wildlife products–a $19-billion-a-year industry–are now known to fund terrorist and other extremist groups. Yet whether the destruction of ivory stockpiles will actually help stamp out the trade is a matter of some debate. Critics contend that it may actually have the opposite effect. By reducing the ivory supply, such events will drive the price up and thus stimulate the poaching of even more elephants, so the argument goes. Experts from government and nongovernment organizations who spoke at the U.S. ivory crush event defended the decision to destroy the stockpile. Peter Knights of WildAid, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in San Francisco, observed that people who argue against the destruction of ivory stockpiles think that having a legal supply is the answer to the poaching problem. But attempts to flood the market with ivory in the past have had disastrous results, actually increasing poaching rather than curbing it. “I think we have to look at history and we have to learn this lesson,” he said. “People need to understand this is just as heinous a crime as consumption of heroin or something like that. We don’t put heroin back on the market when we seize it.” More....

Source: Blogs.cfr.orgBy Emily MellgardReports began appearing in Zimbabwe in July and August that entire elephant herds were dead at watering holes. A recent aerial survey from professional hunters increased initial government estimates of the number of dead elephants from eighty-nine to over three hundred.Further investigation revealed that cyanide, which is available relatively cheaply in Zimbabwe due to local gold mining practices, had been mixed into water sources and salt blocks. Driven by skyrocketing international demand for ivory, local poachers have begun mass, indiscriminate poaching through poisoning. This incident in Zimbabwe’s largest national park, Hwange, presents a terrifying innovation in elephant poaching. Poisoning water holes is an entirely indiscriminate mass killing tactic. All the animals who drink the poisoned water die, normally only yards away from the water’s edge, all the animals who feed on the poisoned carcasses die, and so too do those who feed on them. As such, it poisons the entire food chain, amounting to a weapon of mass destruction against Africa’s wildlife. The carcasses of lions, hyenas, vultures, and other animals were all found alongside the poisoned elephants in Hwange. Tom Milliken of the conservation organization TRAFFIC, along with other conservation campaigners, report an escalation in incidents of poisoning. From the poachers point of view cyanide dramatically increases returns and simultaneously reduces the risk of harm to themselves or detection by park rangers. Poachers have also been known to poison the carcasses of their kills after shooting them. This ensures that any vultures that come to feed will die without alerting park rangers of the poaching kill. In Namibia, more than six hundred vultures died beside a single kill. Vultures are an essential factor in keeping harmful bacteria and germs out of the environment.The illegal elephant ivory trade has more than doubled since 2007. More....

Source: ABC-7.comBy Dave EliasWildlife smuggling is one of the most lucrative crimes in the world, generating $20 million a year. The organized crime is also bringing many species to the brink of extinction. It involves the illegal gathering, transportation and distribution of animals and their derivatives. Exotic animals around the world are being slaughtered for their pelts, horns and skin. The gateway for this crime is less than 90 miles away – at the port of Miami. "The illegal wildlife trade is a big global problem," says wildlife inspector Amir Lawal. A pilot program launched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trains black labs, like Viper, to sniff out illegal wildlife and products. "Viper and I find all kinds of animals," says Lawal, who handles Viper. He says there are four canines in the country. "He's alerting me that there is something there. He does a quick scratch letting me know that there is something in the box," describes Lawal. Viper is looking for items such as a black rhino horn, which is valued at $65,000 on the black market. "They just want to grind this rhino horn up into a powder and they sell the powder. So it's kind of like liquid gold," explains wildlife inspector Eva Lara. Burmese python skin, ivory and wool are also like gold. When it comes to illegal trade, China is one of the biggest offenders. More....

Poachers inZimbabwe have killed more than 300 elephants and countless other safari animals by cyanide poisoning, The Telegraph has learned. The full extent of the devastation wreaked in Hwange, the country's largest national park, has been revealed by legitimate hunters who discovered what conservationists say is the worst single massacre in southern Africa for 25 years. Pictures taken by the hunters, which have been obtained exclusively by The Telegraph, reveal horrific scenes. Parts of the national park, whose more accessible areas are visited by thousands of tourists each year, can be seen from the air to be littered with the deflated corpses of elephants, often with their young calves dead beside them, as well as those of other animals. There is now deep concern that the use of cyanide – first revealed in July, but on a scale that has only now emerged – represents a new and particularly damaging technique in the already soaring poaching trade. Zimbabwean authorities said that 90 animals were killed this way. But the hunters who captured these photographs say they have conducted a wider aerial survey and counted the corpses of more than 300. Poachers killed the elephants over the past three months by lacing waterholes and salt licks with cyanide. Animals are drawn to them during the dry season in the already arid and remote south-eastern section of the 5,660-square mile park. After the elephants died, often collapsing just a few yards from the source, lions, hyenas and vultures which fed on their carcasses were also struck down, as were other animals such as kudu and buffalo that shared the same waterholes. More....

Poachers in Zimbabwe have killed more than 300 elephants and countless other safari animals by cyanide poisoning. The full extent of the carnage in Hwange, the country's largest national park, has been revealed by legitimate hunters who discovered what conservationists said was the worst single massacre in southern Africa for 25 years. Pictures obtained exclusively by The Sunday Telegraph show horrific scenes. Parts of the national park, which is visited by thousands of tourists each year, can be seen from the air to be littered with the corpses of elephants, often with their calves dead beside them, as well as those of other animals. There is deep concern that the use of cyanide represents a new and devastating technique in the rapidly growing poaching trade. Zimbabwean authorities said that 90 animals have been killed this way. But the hunters who captured these photographs said they counted the corpses of more than 300. Poachers killed the elephants over the past three months by planting buckets of water laced with cyanide in the sand. Animals are drawn to them during the dry season in the already arid and remote south-eastern section of the 5,660-square mile park. After the elephants died, often collapsing just a few yards from the source, lions, hyenas and vultures that fed on their carcasses were also struck down, as were other animals such as kudu and buffalo that shared the same water. Zimbabwe's authorities claim that the cyanide has been planted by villagers who sell the elephants' tusks for around pounds 300 each to cross-border traders. They can be resold in South Africa for up to pounds 10,000 a pair, according to court papers relating to one recent incident, sometimes re-emerging as carved artefacts such as bangles in Cape Town's craft markets.Zimbabwe has one of Africa's biggest elephant populations, since herds in neighbouring regions have been severely reduced by poaching. More....

Gabon has lost most of its big meat-eaters including lions, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs (although it's still home to a lot of leopards), but a new study focuses on the country's lesser-known species with an appetite for flesh. For the first time, researchers surveyed Gabon's small carnivores, including 12 species from the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) to the marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus).

The team—made up of scientists from Panthera, the Wildlife Conservation Society, University of Stirling, and other institutions—utilized camera trap photos from 16 different studies, comprehensive field data, and visits to booming bushmeat markets to find out what small carnivores are still found in Gabon.

During the work, the researchers documented two species—the common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus) and Cameroon cusimanse (Crossarchus platycephalus)—never before recorded in Gabon. They also greatly widened the known range for the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon). However, the study, published in Small Carnivore Conservation, wasn't meant to just survey the country but also to see if these smaller predators are imperiled.

"[Small carnivores\ could be disappearing due to the bushmeat crisis sweeping through the region," says lead author, Laila Bahaa-el-Din who has also studied the African golden cat(Profelis aurata) in Gabon, one of the world's least known cat species. About twice the size of a house cat, the African golden cat was not included in this particular research. More....

A Hwange court on Wednesday sentenced a poacher to more than 14 years in prison for poisoning and killing elephants with cyanide, the fourth such conviction in the country in a month. The court also found Akim Masuku, 26, guilty of illegal possession of ivory, handing down a total jail term of 15-and-a-half years, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority said in a statement. Masuku, of Akim Masuku of Chezhou Village, Dete, was once convicted and sentenced to a suspended six months in prison for illegal hunting in February this year. Hwange regional magistrate Rose Dube brought that sentence into effect as he violated the conditions. He still faces separate charges for cyanide possession and for contravening environmental laws, which he denies. An accomplice Normal Ncube, 19, was remanded in custody to 30 October after he pleaded not guilty to the charge. The two were found with 13 elephant tusks on their arrest on Sunday. The court heard that sometime last month, Masuku applied cyanide to watering points for animals, killing 10 of them along with two hyenas and 12 vultures.Three other suspected poachers Farai Chitsa,34, and brothers Sipho Mafu, 54, and Misheck Mafu, 46, were supposed to go on trial on Monday but the Prison department failed to transport them from Khami remand to Hwange. More....

Traditional poaching was by men on foot using rifles. The trade had a chain of players consisting of:

Intelligence suppliers for quick access and location of target animals;

Armed shooters with good tracking experience;

Intermediaries who supplied the field men with arms and received the poached material on behalf of the traders; and

Hiding place to stash the poached material (rhino horn or elephant tusks).

This operation was risky, especially on the part of the hunters. Gunfire could be detected, or if they had to spend time hiding until it was safe to move out to safety with their poached goods, they could always be surprised at their hideouts by wildlife protection authorities. In due course, the poaching syndicate has developed more sophisticated methods. To start with, the market is highly organised, backed by people with considerable financial clout and possibly political connections or influence. In the field, they are able to evade detection by using rapid access, quick kill of many animals in a short time and quickly exit the area probably by helicopter. An incident in Gonarezhou last year was probably one such operation. The use of cyanide, coupled with the new stealth methods the poachers have developed, enables poaching at a massive scale. For a start, cyanide goes on killing for as long as there is sufficient concentration in the bait or drinking water. Cyanide, like common salt, does not biodegrade. Furthermore, cyanide, unlike the human shooter, is a non-selective killer. Thus, all animals that would drink from a poisoned water source would die, or similarly animals that visit a poisoned salt lick. More....

The recent mass poisoning of vultures has prompted the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism to propose urgent legislation that would ban over-the-counter sales of poisons and pesticides. (Read more: Elephant Poachers Poison Hundreds of Vultures to Evade Authorities) Further investigations have revealed that over 1,000 vultures may have perished in this single incident. While this action on the part of the Namibian government is to be applauded, other poisoning incidents indicate the need for urgent continent-wide measures to combat the widespread use of poisons and pesticides to kill wildlife.Just this month the poisoning of 87 elephants in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe made international headlines. The authorities reported that the salt pans that the elephants rely on were laced with cyanide. The latest update indicates that six men have been arrested with a cache of tusks. Sadly these are not isolated incidents. Toxic pesticides (e.g. carbofuran, strychnine) are often used to kill any animal deemed a nuisance. Nuisance animals include lions, hyenas, eagles, crocodiles, dogs, and even squirrels. The illegal poisoning of wildlife is certainly not endemic to Africa- it happens almost everywhere. But it’s the scale of the poisoning, which as one of my colleagues recently noted is ‘a holocaust on the entire animal Kingdom’. The poisoning is not limited to killing nuisance animals and poaching elephants for ivory. It is used to procure food such as fish and birds. It is believed if these are properly roasted there are no ill effects on human health. More....

Our world has become a more dangerous one for man and beast alike, with murder and murderers dominating recent news. I was struck these past few days by the callous murder of some 80 elephants in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Poachers, it has been reported, poured cyanide into the drinking and salting wells frequented by some of Zimbabwe's 80,000 elephants with the sole aim of killing them and removing their ivory tusks for sale to buyers in Asia. The National Parks say a thorough search of the surrounding villages has already yielded 19 tusks together with cyanide poison and the authorities have made arrests. Across the continent, poachers have been killing elephants in greater and larger numbers - a family of 11 was slain in Kenya's Tsavo East National Park back in January, and, according to The International Fund for Animal Welfare, some 400 elephants were slaughtered in the first three months of 2012 in Cameroon's Bouba Ndjida National Park. While over in Gabon, a country whose green credentials are the envy of many, 11,000 forest elephants are said to have been killed by poachers from 2004 to 2013 because they were after the pink-tinged ivory of Gabon's forest elephants which is said to fetch high prizes and much in demand by jewellers and their customers in Asia.

'Unbelievable damage' A pattern seems to be emerging here where Africa's close encounter with new economic giants like China has meant all resources are on the negotiating table; but ivory, long protected by international law, can only be obtained by the illegal poaching of Africa's most majestic beasts. More....

Organised wildlife poaching in Zimbabwe, particularly of elephants and rhinoceros whose tusks and horns are lucrative on the black market, has escalated to disastrous levels after the poisoning of about 90 elephants through cyanide by poachers who seem to be using new and deadlier methods of plunder.Elephants and rhinos are poached mostly for their tasks and horns. These end up mostly in Asia, particularly China, Thailand and Vietnam where end products are a symbol of wealth while others use them for alternative medicine. According to a report entitled The African Elephant Crisis produced by the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, organised syndicates ship several tonnes of ivory at a time to markets in Asia, and hundreds of elephants are killed for every container sent. As a result the elephant population in Central and West Africa may be wiped out soon, although large herds still exist in East and Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, where elephant numbers far exceed the carrying capacity. “Currently it is likely that the total continental population estimate is in the range of 420 000 to 650 000 African elephants, with just three countries, Botswana, Tanzania and Zimbabwe accounting for well over half of these elephants,” reads the report. “However, these numbers could change rapidly if present trends continue.”The government says Zimbabwe’s elephant population has swelled to more than 100 000 against a carrying capacity of 40 000. More....

The Kenya Wildlife Services has identified four notorious hotspot areas for bush meat trade in the country. KWS spokesperson Paul Mbugua told the Star in an Interview that Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok and Tsavo are leading in bush meat trade. “Kajiado, Naivasha and Narok are some of the areas where we are facing a serious challenge of bush meat trade. These are the areas that supply Nairobi City,” he said. Mbugua said that Chakama is a notorious bush meat centre from wildlife killed in Tsavo. “We have identified that most of the meat from wildlife that is killed in Tsavo is sold at Chakama. He cautioned the public against buying the meat from unauthorised dealers saying the meat is unfit for human consumption. “The slaughtering is done in very dirty environments and the meat poses serious health risks. In most cases people have ended up eating baboons, hyenas and even dogs that are disguised as bush meat,” he said. Mbugua said the wildlife conservation body has arrested several suspects found with the meat but have been released by the courts. This is because KWS does not have a laboratory to prove whether the meat is from wildlife or not. He however, said that soon they will be prosecuting the suspects after the completion of the KWS forensic lab that is under construction. “By the end of this month we are optimistic that the forensic lab will be officially opened,” he said. He said Kajiado, Naivasha and Narok were the suppliers for Nairobi city.

Bahraini authorities have pledged a crackdown on the illegal import of endangered animals such as white tigers, African cheetahs and lion cubs. They promised to shut down pet stores, zoos and farms that trade in exotic animals that are brought into the country through 'official channels'. It is claimed some of the creatures are even sedated and driven from neighbouring countries through the King Fahad Causeway. The GDN visited facilities where crocodiles, baboons, hyenas, oryx and deer were kept in poor conditions - some without water. Our reporter also negotiated the import of an endangered white tiger cub for $1,200. However, Supreme Council for Environment acting director Abdulqader Khamis said his team is drawing up tougher legislation to combat the growing problem. He told the GDN he will also ensure Customs only let animals into the country that had first been authorised by the council. "We are now in the process of developing a national legislation and we are working with government ministries, NGOs and other parties," he said. "We have already started to strengthen the existing legislation and we hope to introduce new laws as soon as possible. More....

After a hearty breakfast at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast on Friday morning, Jim Justus Nyamu of Kenya put feet to pavement and continued his walk to Washington, D.C., on a journey to spread awareness of the illegal ivory trade and poaching of elephants in Africa. While the plight in Africa may seem a world away, the United States is contributing to the problem as the second largest buyer of illegal ivory from Africa, beat only by China. Nyamu, a scientist who works in conservation and research, has seen his country’s majestic elephant population dwindle in recent years as poachers slaughter the animals in horrific ways only to harvest their ivory for quick cash. Nyamu said many of the poachers are engaging in the activity because they have no other means of income and no education, drawing a parallel to the drug trade caused by economic woes in America. Some 400 elephants were killed in Kenya in August alone. Many are the family matriarchs, which leaves baby elephants to fend for themselves and disrupts the ecosystem. If nothing changes, elephants will be extinct from Africa by 2025. “When does it end? We want it to end today,” Nyamu said. Nyamu traveled from Kenya to Boston last week to lead the “Ivory Belongs to Elephants Campaign Walk” that will culminate on Oct. 4, World Elephant Day, in Washington, D.C. He spent a free night at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, where he “slept like an elephant” and then headed to Tiverton, Portsmouth, Newport and beyond. While in this country, Nyamu will meet with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and conduct presentations at Yale and Princeton universities. More....

A man who has admitted trafficking over 500 endangered chimpanzees out of the West African country Republic of Guinea has been captured and sentenced to the maximum possible jail term and a fine, according to a law enforcement group involved with the case. The organization GALF says convicted kingpin Ousmane Diallo and his two accomplices, who also received prison sentences, have been implicated in the poaching of chimps, lions, leopards, hyenas and tropical birds over the past decade.

“Breaking these networks will require a real commitment from the Guinean authorities as major criminals take advantage of the lack of political will and the lightness of the penalties,” said Charlotte Houpline, GALF Founder and Coordinator. “But this time the result is excellent, we arrested one of biggest ape traffickers and we obtained one year in prison against him, the most severe penalty under Guinean law for this type of offense. It is a historic decision.”

Poaching and trafficking of chimpanzees has driven the species into severe decline. All cross-border trade in great apes like chimps, gorillas and orang-utans is prohibited under international law, but demand for the animals by zoos, wildlife parks and as exotic pets has continued. Republic of Guinea was sanctioned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species earlier this year for circumventing rules meant to safeguard the country’s wild animals.

“Poachers target young chimpanzees for the illegal pet trade, but their families will often fight to the death to protect them. For every baby that is exported alive another 10 chimps may have died. Infants often perish from the trauma of capture leading poachers to pursue yet another victim, and repeating time and again the tragic killing scenario,” said David Greer, WWF’s African Great Ape Programme Manager. “There are as few as 8,000 chimpanzees remaining in Republic of Guinea.” Greer says. “To prevent ape populations from careening toward extinction, countries across West and Central Africa must provide better protection, undertake more thorough investigations, conduct rigorous prosecutions, eradicate corruption in the legal system, and impose stronger penalties to deter poachers and traffickers.”

The operation to apprehend the fugitive syndicate was undertaken by the Guinean government’s INTERPOL bureau and GALF. WWF supports GALF’s work on wildlife crime investigations. During the sting, authorities seized 150 birds and were able to release them safely back into the wild.

Several thousand feet up on a jagged escarpment overlooking the Arabian Sea, Hadi al-Hikmani has come searching for a shy and reclusive creature. The Arabian leopard, the last remaining big cat in the Middle East, is almost invisible in the canyons and dry riverbeds of Oman. So even a growl or a scratch mark would satisfy the conservationist. But al-Hikmani looks set to go home empty-handed as he has so many times after his treks across the Dhofar mountains in the Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve of southern Oman. Then his luck turns. "Here we go!" yells al-Hikmani as he comes upon a pile of leopard droppings that appears several weeks old. He and a colleague bag the waste, which later will be genetically analyzed to help determine the leopard population in the area as well as the prey. This leopard seemed to have a taste for porcupines, small rodents and hyrax, a plump, rock-dwelling mammal. A few hundred feet up the path, further good news. One of the more than 25 camera traps that dot these mountains caught an image of a leopard — its pale coat dotted with black rosettes and spots standing out against the darkness. It was just a bit larger than a golden retriever and was the first one caught on camera for several months. "It's a good indication that the leopard is still using this area," said 30-year-old al-Hikmani, who works for the Oman government's Arabian leopard project and wears a traditional Omani headdress over Western hiking attire. "Maybe one day we will come up here and won't even see any leopards. So we are quite excited." For conservationists, these are small victories in the race to save a species. Once thriving across the Middle East, the Arabian Leopard is now considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. More....

As humans continue to encroach on waterways and wild lands and develop them to the extent they can, some species may vanish with or without our attempts to conserve them.

With that said, we continue to fail at keeping illegal poachers at bay; we continue to reproduce exponentially; we fail to reduce our carbon footprint; and we also fail to mitigate the effects of climate change. We have been doing these things with great proficiency for a long time to the detriment of the environment. Indeed, we have damaged nature at the expense of non-human species and their respective ecosystems. Fortunately, however, there is great reason to have hope because of a few committed and passionate people who believe that getting species off that “Critically Endangered” list is not only possible, but conceivable in our life times, for many animals already imperiled.When Deputy Conservator of Forests of the Department of Forests for the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, Sujoy Banerjee graciously invited myself and Baiju Raj, administrative wildlife biologist of the Wildlife SOS-managed Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF), to his office, I thought we might talk about bears, birds and lions literally. After all, Sujoy is the brain behind the designing and development of the upcoming Lion Safari, a priority project of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. He has worked as the Director of Species Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund- India. There, he oversaw tiger, elephant and rhino conservation projects for the entire country. More....